Growing a Real “Digital Native”

Digital natives – the ones who grow up with all the technology – have just gotten a little younger. OK,  a lot younger, thanks to Kickbee.
Corey Menscher, an ITP (a two-year graduate program designed to explore the imaginative use of communications technologies) student in New York City, is an expectant father, and felt like he was removed from the growth of his soon-to-be baby. So instead of doing what normal people do, Cory decided to make his baby Twitter.

Yeah, you read that right. He created a strapped-on set of  sensors that updates the @kickbee twitter account whenever the baby started to do backflips and such.

The Kickbee is a wearable device made of a stretchable band and embedded electronics and sensors. Piezo sensors are attached directly to the band, and transmit small but detectable voltages when triggered by movement underneath. An Arduino Mini micro-controller transmits the signals to an accompanying Java application wirelessly via Bluetooth. [source]

I’m sure this is great and all, but it just seems like a goofy-ass idea to me. Mind you, I’m not a mom, and I don’t plan to be one, but seriously? A baby Twitter account?? Come on!

don’t expect to see it on your Apparently the sensors are still a little ‘touchy’ still, so don’t expect to see it in your local Babies ‘R Us anytime soon.

(Image source, courtesy of Corey Menscher)